A great way to spend the day in this pleasant weather is to visit Hosto Shilpo Mela. Spread over a huge expanse next to Eco Park’s Gate 1, the fair will keep you occupied for hours.
It is open from 1pm to 8.30pm till December 17 and entry is free. It has been organised by the micro, small and medium enterprises and textile department.
(Clockwise from left)
Little devotee dolls
Stall: 41 of Hooghly pavilion
What: You cannot pass this stall without fussing over how cute these showpieces are. “The little devotee is modelled on my friend’s son. They are Iskcondisciples and his son looks this adorable when playing the khol,” says ShymalAdhikari. He also has what he calls “Bhaipo Shib,” which is a little Shiva deepin meditation. The items are made of poly fibre and while Adhikari makes various other figurines, this “baby range” is the best seller. “I am confident they’llget sold out a week before the fair ends,” he says.
Price: Rs 110 for the little musician, Rs 150 for little Shiva
Quilling dolls
Stall: 44 of Howrah Rupnarayan pavilion
What: Tintin, Batul, Chhota Bhim… Sumana Paladhi has used the paperquilling technique to make dolls out of your favourite comic strip characters.“There are individual dolls like Gopal Bhar, Ganesha, Jesus Christ and SantaClaus while some like Tintin and friends come in a set that I have enclosed ina glass case. That keeps it safe from dust,” she says. Paladhi also has dolls ofJagannath and Durga with her children.
Price: Rs 2,000 for 7” Durga chalchitra, Rs 1,500 for Tintin and friends
Toy rickshaw
Stall: 52 in Howrah pavilion
What: This stall sells cardboard rickshaws, autos and ice cream vans and while they make cute showpieces, you can also switch on the battery and watch the rickshaw-puller run across the table drawing the vehicle. “The hand-pulled rickshaw is popular for the nostalgia factor but children today haven’t seen them and don’t connect with it. They are pointing straight at the ice cream van,” smiled craftsman Ashin Saha.
Price: Rs 350 for ice cream van, Rs 450 for rickshaw
Bookmarks
Stall: On the ground outside Karubhasha pavilion
What: If you thought bookmarks were thick rectangular cards, think again. This stall has made oxidised bookmarks that are brass-coated. Not only do they clip pages securely, but their top also has processed dried flowers for that classy look. “Some have phosphorus added to make them glow in orange and aqua green shades in the dark. We also have bracelets and pendants made in the same line,” said Asima Dhali of Madhyamgram. They make their products under the name Dheyo_o.
Price: Rs 250 for bookmarks
(Clockwise from left)
Roller kulfi
Stall: Food court
What: The fair has a food court offering delicacies of all cuisines and among dessert, is “roller kulfi”. “This is made by scraping kulfi off a giant chilled cylinder that’s constantly rotating. We add ingredients like milk, juice, kesar and pista over the melting ice. This solidifies because of the cold and gives the kulfi an added flavour,” says Arif Ali of Max Food Corner.
Price: Rs 50
Recycled paper
Stall: 12 of Ichhamati pavilion
What: This stall offers diaries and drawing books made of grass fibre, jute fibre and moulded fibre, which is what cartons of eggs come packed in. “You know how the back of a sheet blots up when you write with an ink pen? That would never happen to such superior quality of paper,” says Ankhi Chakrabarty of Kheror Khata. This is why painters prefer this paper. Our black paper, particularly, is popular among fashion designers to draw on.”
Price: Rs 200 to 250 for diaries, Rs 600 for art books
Stone art
Stall: 9 of Bhagirathi pavilion What: Debasmita Bhaskar’s grandfather used to sculpt such statues out of ivory. “When it got banned, he switched to Korean stone, which is synthetic ivory,” says the girl who has carrying forward the family business. “The texture of synthetic ivory is such that the detailing, such as eyes and mouth have to be sculpted out of the gadget that dentists use to scale teeth with.”
Price: Rs 52,000 for the foot-high Saraswati idol. Earrings start at Rs 400
Kaleidoscope
Stall: 41 of Hooghly pavilion
What: Rameswar Chatterjee has laid out kaleidoscopes that are not only beautiful on the inside but also on the outside. “I’ve wrapped them in attractive printed cloth that can compliment any living room,” says the man, adding that the item is popular as ever with kids. “This isn’t just a toy. Middle school kids learn about the functions of the prism in physics and this is a practical example of that.”
Price: Rs 150 for cloth-wrapped ones, Rs 80 for paper-wrapped ones
(L-R)
Tent-swing
Stall: On the ground near the stage
What: This stall does not have space to hang up their swings so they are all piled up together. But ask Subal Chandra Maity about them and he holds up several models that look comfortable and inviting. His pride is the “tent-swing” that one can snuggle inside along with cushions and comforters. “This model is getting exported to Singapore too,” says the man from Digha. The swings are made of cane, covered with cotton and are to be hung from the ceiling like fans. They come is shades of white, black and maroon.
Price: Rs 4,500
Portraits
Stall: 50 of Teesta pavilion
What: Get yourself clicked at this stall and then go shopping around the fair. By the time you’re done, Tapas Chaudhuri would have sketched your portrait for you. If you give him a day he’ll have it coloured too. “Most elderly customers want pictures of their families painted. I can paint these as big as 6ft long. But youths want frames of their icons — Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Virat Kohli and most of all — Arijit Singh,” says Chaudhuri of Siliguri.
Price: Rs 2,000 for an A4 size frame
